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History's King James VI and I
James VI and I (19 June 1566– 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death. The kingdoms of Scotland and England were individual sovereign states, with their own parliaments, judiciary, and laws, though both were ruled by James in personal union. James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a great-great-grandson of King Henry VII, King of England and Lord of Ireland, positioning him to eventually accede to all three thrones. James succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of thirteen months, after his mother Mary was compelled to abdicate in his favor. Four different regents governed during his minority, which ended officially in 1578, though he did not gain full control of his government until 1583. In 1603, he succeeded the last of Tudoror monarch of England and Ireland, Elizabeth I, who died without issue. He continued to reign in all three kingdoms for 22 years, a period known after him as the Jacobean era, until his death in 1625 at the age of 58. After the Union of the Crowns, he based himself in England (the largest of the three realms) from 1603, only returning to Scotland once in 1617, and styled himself "King of Great Britain and Ireland". He was a major advocate of a single parliament for England and Scotland. In his reign, the Plantation of Ulster and British colonization of the Americas began. At 57 years and 246 days, James's reign in Scotland was longer than those of any of his predecessors. He achieved most of his aims in Scotland but faced great difficulties in England, including the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and repeated conflicts with the English Parliament. Under James, the "Golden Age" of Elizabethan literature and drama continued, with writers such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Sir Francis Bacon contributing to a flourishing literary culture. James himself was a talented scholar, the author of works such as Daemonologie (1597), The True Law of Free Monarchies (1598), and Basilikon Doron (1599). He sponsored the translation of the Bible that would later be named after him: the Authorised King James Version. Sir Anthony Weldon claimed that James had been termed "the wisest fool in Christendom", an epithet associated with his character ever since. Since the latter half of the 20th century, historians have tended to revise James's reputation and treat him as a serious and thoughtful monarch. Notes * Prince James Stuart was born a full year after his parent's marriage, 19 June 1566 * Prince James VI was named after his grandfather, King James V, and uncle James Stuart. * Prince James Stuart's Godparents were Queen Elizabeth of England, King Charles IX of France, and Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy * The Lennox Jewel is believed to have been made for his grandmother, Lady Lennox. Theories vary as to when the jewel was made and for what occasion. In 1842, the jewel was bought by Queen Victoria. * While his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots was 7-moinths pregnant with him, when his father; Lord Darnley and Lord Ruthven among others, stabbed and killed David Rizzio 56 times in front of her. *Prince James Stuart become King of both Scotland, England and Ireland. * King Darnley was murdered on 10 February 1567 at Kirk o' Field, Edinburgh. At the time, Mary, Queen of Scots was at a wedding for a member of her household, but was later accused. * Lord Bothwell was believed to have murdered King Darnley. * On 24 July 1567, Mary, Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son Prince James Stuart. Mary's brother James Stuart was made regent. * Prince James became king of Scotland after his first birthday. He became king of England in 1603 after Queen Elizabeth's death when he was 37. Category:Historical Category:Historical Figure Category:Reign Category:King